FREE AGENCY AGREED: Broncos Have Reportedly Reached Full Board Agreement to Sign Veteran OT From AFC South to Active Roster

The Denver Broncos will need all hands on deck to keep winning games at their present rate – they won their third consecutive game and improved to 3-2 on the season with a 34-18 victory over their AFC West Division adversary, the Las Vegas Raiders, on October 6.

One key to continued success will be to protect rookie quarterback Bo Nix while also ensuring that a reinvigorated running game continues to thrive. That will be difficult to accomplish given recent offensive line injuries, but Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine believes the team should sign veteran offensive tackle Blake Hance off the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad and move him to the active roster to solve some of those concerns.

“The Broncos got the win (against the Raiders), but the offensive line took a beating in the process,” Ballentine said. “Alex Palczewski, who was filling in for Mike McGlinchey, who is already on injured reserve, left Sunday’s game with an ankle injury. Centre Luke Wattenberg also exited the game, leaving the Broncos considerably thinner up front than when it began.

“Finding offensive line help during the season is never simple, but they may be able to snag a man from the practice squad. Blake Hance has been serviceable in spot starts for the Jacksonville Jaguars and Cleveland Browns. It might be worth poaching him for the active roster.”

Breaking down the bleak situation with OL injuries

Following Denver’s victory over the Raiders, Heavy.com’s Josh Buckhalter discussed the dismal scenario with the offensive line injuries.

“During the 2024 offseason, the Broncos signed free agent Matt Peart. The New York Giants selected Peart in the third round of the 2020 draft, and he has appeared in seven of his 47 games over a five-year career,” Buckhalter said. “Palczewski is also listed as the top backup at both guard positions on the Broncos’ official depth chart, therefore weakening them in two areas.If necessary, the Broncos also have rookie undrafted free agent Frank Crum on hand. Alex Forsyth, Bo Nix’s college colleague at Oregon, is the next man up at centre. The Broncos selected Forsyth in the seventh round in 2023, and he challenged with the more experienced Wattenberg for the starting job in training camp.

Hance carved out a career after going undrafted.

Hance, 6-foot-6 and 310 pounds, was a four-year starter at Northwestern, starting 46 games from 2015 to 2018 and earning Big Ten All-Freshman honours in 2015 after making eight starts at left offensive lineman.

After going undrafted in 2019, Hance spent the next six seasons as a journeyman offensive tackle. He is in his second stint with the Jaguars and has played for six different teams in that time.

Hance has appeared in all but one game over the last three seasons, including a career-high eight starts at right offensive lineman for the Browns in 2021.

 

The Broncos return to action in Week 6 against another AFC West foe, the Los Angeles Chargers, on October 7, followed by a short week and a nationally televised Thursday Night Football game against the New Orleans Saints on October 17, where Denver head coach Sean Payton spent 16 seasons from 2006 to 2021.